The Revel sounds more neutral, but I prefer the forward presentation of the Focal. I listened blind and every time I recognised a preferred change in speaker it favoured the Focal.
This is how all speaker demos should be recorded and edited. Switching back and forth between speakers during a song and you immediately hear and tell the difference. In this setting the Focal's sounded better. I wish they had not raised their prices by nearly 100% over the last 3 years on these. It's unfortunate as the Focal Sopra No. 2 were on my buy list.
Beryllium tweeter vs. Beryllium tweeter. After listening through the demo four times in a row (yes it is that close), I will give the edge to Sopra no1. They are slightly more open and airy, but the Revels might actually be slightly more transparent. Both are world class speakers. Another comparison I would love to hear is Paradigm Persona 5F vs. Perlisten s7t (both also have Beryllium tweeters and priced at $17K). I've listened to Persona 5F in person several times. They are incredibly transparent, and mostly neutral (slightly forward). Personally I'm lusting after the new kid on the block, Perlisten s7t. They're a big hit here in the States. Thanks Alpha Audio, you are the MAX of youtube audio recording demo tests. Now, let's go Orange, F1 championship is within your grasp.
Excellent audio quality and set up. The key that unlocks the door to quality sound demonstrations though is the quality of the music and this is where your channel is ahead of the game. Thank you.
Excellent test. Both have attributes that I find pleasing but I would ultimately choose the Revels between these two. With just a very slight bit of EQ in a few areas the Revels could provide the attributes that I liked in the Sopras, and EQ should work very well with the Revels because they have very smooth and even directivity/dispersion. I would LOVE to hear comparisons of these two speakers to the respective BØRRESEN Acoustics # 01 stand-mounts and # 03 floor-standers, even though there might be a bit of a price disparity. :)
Wouw! Beste AlphaAudio vrienden, ik denk dat hier toch wel jullie nieuwe referentie luidsprekers staan, de Revel Performa F226Be. Dat is het eerste wat ik tegen mezelf zei, bij de eerste 2 platen die ik hoorde. De Focals lijken bij deze wel iets te overheersen in het mid/hoog en was ik geneigd de volume op mijn hoofdtelefoon terug te draaien. De twee platen Jacques Loussier + Blöf voelde in eerste instantie vertouwder op de Focals, deze twee platen gebruik ik ook veel bij het testen van de luidsprekers, dankzij jullie ;) Alleen speelde dat mid/hoog gevoel steeds op bij die Focals, de Revels geven meer rust, maar best strak in het laag, ookal hoor je ze soms goed doorlopen. Misschien een kwestie van tijdje laten inspelen, want de Focals leken wel wat dieper te gaan… Ze klonken dan wel weer minder strak zo niet beetje "rommelig" bij Jacques dan als bij die Revels. Al met al best mooie luidspreker die Revels qua sound, qua contrast die witte units, is een kwestie van smaak, maar dat mid/hoog klinkt heel relaxt en kan je er uren naar luisteren denk ik. Ben benieuwd of deze Revels alle muziek soorten aankunnen?! Bedankt en tot de volgende weer! Groetjes, Yori
Just stumbled across this channel. Good channel. I own the revel 228be and use two jl subs. I feel this video captures the sound signature well. I like how loud the revels can be played. Very clean at high volume. Focals are great too just pricy in the USA. I the revel 228be is $11,000 and the focal sopra 2 is $19,000-ish at current retail prices.
Nice video - Sopra sounds awesome but I just bought the Revel f226be on sale - I think they are very close and just slightly prefer the Sopra in this demo; ultimately it came down to value - I think it’s hard to go wrong with either
I'm impressed to see that Focal was able to broadcast a slightly better sound than the tall Revel Performa F226Be in so small speakers. I only ear a significant difference in the last peace (and I just ordered a pair of Sopra 1).
Thanks for sharing, a great comparison. Revel Performa for me from this impression. But who knows, maybe I'd prefer the other ones if hearing them live and on-site.
I think that I marginally prefer the Revels due to their relaxed type of presentation. The area where I like the Focals the more is in the treble, the curved front baffle and lack of waveguide undoubtedly improves the dispersion between 3kHz and 8 kHz (widens it) and pushes more energy in the reverberant field for greater openness. The Revel counters with greater dispersion at the top of the midrange drivers range. The best of both worlds would be to to combine the two, by using a 3,5 inch midrange in combination with a curved baffle 1 inch treble and a suitably low crossover frequency.
I prefer the Revels. They are more neutral and natural sounding than the Focals. The treble on the Focals calls attention to the speaker and not the music, which is a characteristic of every Focal speaker I have ever heard.
Wow, such good content. I strongly disagree with several strongly held audiophile positions, like cables make a difference, for instance, but overall your channel is informative and, importantly, artistic. Thanks.
I should add that i would never own the Revel's because they are UGLY and made in China. I just can't buy products made in a nation that embraces forced labor, aka slavery.
@@TheAlphaAudio when I find interesting is that audiophiles swear up-and-down that they want the purest sound usually are hell-bent on never touching tonal control yet they’ll try different wires in every other aspect to change the sound though. They swear they are getting the purest sound possible lol I find that to be the funniest thing ever.
Jacques Loussier: het valt op dat de nagalm bij de Revels vele malen meer is dan bij de Focals. De Focals klinken veel droger. De coherentie in het geluidsbeeld van de Revels vind ik persoonlijk mooier, maar dat komt waarschijnlijk omdat de bastonen geprononceerder zijn en bij de Focals het middengebied veel meer naar voren wordt geprojecteerd. Bij stemmen: ik weet niet of de Focals beter de stemmen en de trompet weergeven, of dat ik een voorkeur heb voor de manier waarop stemmen en de trompet worden weergegeven, beetje lastig te onderscheiden. Beide zijn topniveau. Ik heb de indruk dat de DAC met de nieuwe modules nu helemaal los is, klinkt geweldig.
Focal Sopra sounds perfectly balanced on my system. I am listening over a triode tube amplifier and Dynaudio speakers, which are very neutral. I also hear a certain reverberance with the Revels which I do not hear with the Focals. The Focals are clearly more bright, which on my system is a good thing. The midrange is too pronounced on the Revels for my taste.
It seems the biggest difference is that Focals have the typical lower treble flare inherent in all 2-way designs with a 6"+ midwoofer and tweeter without a waveguide. Pass xp-12 is a bit polite in that region which is a good match for the Focal but not so much for the Revel.
Do you think the Revels/Bryston/Pass Labs has good synergy? I think this is the upgrade path I'm going moving towards... I own Revel floor standers... (I had recommended that you consider Revels when you requested suggestions for a neutral speaker) your room is so dialed in and excellent music selections... thanks for all that you do...
I like the vocals and highs slightly better on the focals but I feel as though the mid-bass is a little boosted... which is pleasing to the ear but I feel it is not completely honest to the source. I want to say I would still choose the Focals in this case although I would want to hear the Revels in person before making such an assumption.
If it sounds better (mid bass) then it sounds better. I don't understand your logic... You want it to sound dryer if that's how the song was recorded? Why lol.. it's not about the song it's about how you perceive the song. I guess not for everyone.
@deyh5664 some artists already record with boosted midbass. If your speaker accentuates midbass then these kinds of songs will sound muddy. Horses for courses. Nice try to pigeonhole the argument though.
Dear Alpha audio, as you are the one there listening, can you please describe your experiences with these 2 sets of speakers? Similarities and differences? Thank you!
Focals smoothness of tone make obvious difference in focals favor. Also a bit brighter and more airy presentation have translated to overall more musical sound. But Revels thanks to darker presentation, reveal very good details and leyers on the midrange and it's harmonics. All tough both speakres aren't in the same price class, cause floorstanders Focal Sopra No.2 is almost 2 x more expensive than F226Be.
@@TheAlphaAudio I added anwser with link and it's gone. Maybe cause puting links is abandonned. But cut to the chase: Floorstanders are much more expensive in comparsion to the same line bookshelfs. You should compare Focals Sopra No.1 to Ravel M126Be and still they are 2 x cheapper than Sopra No.1. F226Be should be compared to the same price floorstanders speakers - if you want to highlight they are in same price. No wonder floorstander model cost the same as the Sopras No. 1 cause Sopras are not floorstanders. Sopra No.2 are almost 2x more expensive than F226Be. Almost same price to bookshelfs Sopra no.1.
@@sheerenergy8602 TH-cam is a bit tough on comments with links... We have the 126be as a reference. It's An amazing speaker. I thought this comparison was interesting... About the same price... Both Beryllium. Both have their strong points....
@@TheAlphaAudio Yes it's interesting ofcourse, but price comparsion can only be made in bookshelfs vs bookshelfs and floorstanders vs florstanders. Revel have Gem 2 bookshelfs, they are 1000 euro more expensive than Sopra No.1 with stands. Focal in general is expensive and maybe M126Be are in the same class in sound with Sopras No.1 but not the same price. When Revel get same reputation as Focal, maybe then that two series are gonna be in same price class. Like Paradigm did - i'm using precursor of Persona B, but bigger Siganture S4 Berilium - now the price is collosal.
@@sheerenergy8602 I beg to disagree. Does it really matter if it is a bookshelf or a floorstander? I think the budget matters more. How much sound are you getting for your money? I was deciding between (amongst others) huge Nubert floorstanders and small Focal bookshelves, the price tag being the same. The Nuberts had a massive advantage in terms of bass, the Focals in terms of everything else. And I decided everything else mattered more to me... and that I'd need a subwoofer. Focal does manufacture in house in France, while Revel produces in China. That doesn't have to have an effect on quality (the Chinese can produce products of very high quality, and the French... lets say I owned a couple of French cars). But it does have an effect on price. As for the Revel, they don't play particularly low for floorstanders, the Sopras aren't that far away from them. Both sound really good in the demo. I'd have a hard time deciding... perhaps the Revel are a tad more balanced, laid back? The Focals shine more.
@@TheAlphaAudio I'm really looking forward to it. Then you can also try the Dynaudio Heritage. A comparison between Focal Sopra NO 1 + BW 805D4 + Dynaudio Heritage would be sensational. Could also do a Review of Focal Kanta NO 1.
Jaap, I’m sure you had lots of fun setting this up all up for us. Very thrilling to hear both these speakers. The Revels are ugly as hell but they do make beautiful sound when compared to the Focal speakers. Thank you, Brian
How would you say the Revels compare to the ATC SCM40a you had a while ago? I currently have the atcs and I'm curious about what you think of the Revels as they were my second choice. I never got a chance to demo the Revels in person.
Would've loved to see a comparison of Kanta vs F226Be. They are much closer in price here in the US, with the Kanta being a little more expensive since dealers often discount Revels.
Focal midrange Is a little more forward sounding sounds good on these songs outhers maybe not I would choose the revel for its flatter response that can be eq to taste
Revels are more integrated and even tonal balance for me and more extended and convincing bass. Focal more detailed and open, fast and airy though. I probably would need to listen to them n the flesh but in truth neither would be my choice of speaker, at least not with that front end which i think is a bit on the nice and polite side for my taste. Am I correct you record in mono? Or is it a stereo mike?
@@theomindschrddr7983 Especially in the high audio is about system matching so with different ancillaries I may well love either of those two speakers but in my case I have gone for Spender D9.2. It has taken a lot of tweaking of ancillaries and also electronic room correction to get them to sound great or to be correct to get the system to sound great as it now does.
@@TheAlphaAudio Did you like Sopra 2 ? How Sopra 2 or (even no1.) compares to ATC SCM40 ? Did not have the chance to hear it at the local dealer, but really like what I'm hearing during your demo videos. I do have amp that is on warmer and fuller sound ( Plinius SA103, 2x125W ClassA) and thinking it can be a good match to Sopra. What is your opinion ?
@@kaudiophilejourney1259 I don't like the Sopra No2. I do like the 3. Ik think the No1 is more loose and controlled than the No2. ATC is totally different.
the difference is stark, if in this demo someone does not opt for FOCAL in every sense, 2 things could be happening, either the source that is listening to the comparison is of low quality or is deaf...
@@TheAlphaAudio teste too... obviously, but the difference is mainly in the quality, the FOCAL even being smaller, has more body, the presence and definition is superior, it is a better and more refined speaker!
@@TheAlphaAudio making it clear that "this demo" demonstrates this, even taking into account all the possible interference from the "you tube process"... whether personally this comes to fruition, I can't say for sure!
I could hear her breath on the Revels, not on the Focals. The Revels are more refined sounding, the Focals sound a bit unrefined and lifeless. Maybe pair them against a cheap pair of Sony book case speakers.
Focal sounds much better/more fun. Quite a bit of difference. I never understood the Revel hypes. It's a "dry" speaker brand. Waste of money compared to what you can get.
This video clearly highlights the distinct differences between the speaker brand Focal and Revel. The Revel more recessed, slightly reserved and slightly damped compared to the more forward, extroverted and musically ensemble linearity of the Focals. The Revel might get dull and tedious with long term listening. Although with not much listener fatigue in the process. Whereas the Focal might just be ticket for certain musical genres such as female vocals, jazz and most anything non rock or orchestral based. Both of which better served up by the Focals at lower volume levels. All things considered , the Focals for me. The shimmer and full on sparkle of the mids and highs seal the deal.
If I was using them as studio playback monitors, wanting maximum harmonic, textural, macro and micro dynamic detail, I'd have to go with the Sopra1's. For personal musical enjoyment I might opt for the Revel's, and give up a touch of the the Focal's hyper definition and almost brutaly revealing charicter for the more forgiving and full bodied flavor of the Revel F226Be's. Maybe. This is a technicaly sterling sound demo, AA. Thanks.
The Revel sounds more neutral, but I prefer the forward presentation of the Focal. I listened blind and every time I recognised a preferred change in speaker it favoured the Focal.
This is how all speaker demos should be recorded and edited. Switching back and forth between speakers during a song and you immediately hear and tell the difference. In this setting the Focal's sounded better. I wish they had not raised their prices by nearly 100% over the last 3 years on these. It's unfortunate as the Focal Sopra No. 2 were on my buy list.
Thanks! And yes....they got expensive.
Beryllium tweeter vs. Beryllium tweeter. After listening through the demo four times in a row (yes it is that close), I will give the edge to Sopra no1. They are slightly more open and airy, but the Revels might actually be slightly more transparent. Both are world class speakers. Another comparison I would love to hear is Paradigm Persona 5F vs. Perlisten s7t (both also have Beryllium tweeters and priced at $17K). I've listened to Persona 5F in person several times. They are incredibly transparent, and mostly neutral (slightly forward). Personally I'm lusting after the new kid on the block, Perlisten s7t. They're a big hit here in the States. Thanks Alpha Audio, you are the MAX of youtube audio recording demo tests. Now, let's go Orange, F1 championship is within your grasp.
th-cam.com/video/Msaq4kCYclw/w-d-xo.html
Excellent audio quality and set up. The key that unlocks the door to quality sound demonstrations though is the quality of the music and this is where your channel is ahead of the game. Thank you.
Thanks!
insanely good quality 🤔🤩
Excellent test. Both have attributes that I find pleasing but I would ultimately choose the Revels between these two. With just a very slight bit of EQ in a few areas the Revels could provide the attributes that I liked in the Sopras, and EQ should work very well with the Revels because they have very smooth and even directivity/dispersion.
I would LOVE to hear comparisons of these two speakers to the respective BØRRESEN Acoustics # 01 stand-mounts and # 03 floor-standers, even though there might be a bit of a price disparity. :)
The focal sound so good on your system
Thanks. They indeed do!
Wouw!
Beste AlphaAudio vrienden, ik denk dat hier toch wel jullie nieuwe referentie luidsprekers staan, de Revel Performa F226Be. Dat is het eerste wat ik tegen mezelf zei, bij de eerste 2 platen die ik hoorde. De Focals lijken bij deze wel iets te overheersen in het mid/hoog en was ik geneigd de volume op mijn hoofdtelefoon terug te draaien.
De twee platen Jacques Loussier + Blöf voelde in eerste instantie vertouwder op de Focals, deze twee platen gebruik ik ook veel bij het testen van de luidsprekers, dankzij jullie ;)
Alleen speelde dat mid/hoog gevoel steeds op bij die Focals, de Revels geven meer rust, maar best strak in het laag, ookal hoor je ze soms goed doorlopen. Misschien een kwestie van tijdje laten inspelen, want de Focals leken wel wat dieper te gaan… Ze klonken dan wel weer minder strak zo niet beetje "rommelig" bij Jacques dan als bij die Revels.
Al met al best mooie luidspreker die Revels qua sound, qua contrast die witte units, is een kwestie van smaak, maar dat mid/hoog klinkt heel relaxt en kan je er uren naar luisteren denk ik. Ben benieuwd of deze Revels alle muziek soorten aankunnen?!
Bedankt en tot de volgende weer!
Groetjes,
Yori
Just stumbled across this channel. Good channel. I own the revel 228be and use two jl subs. I feel this video captures the sound signature well. I like how loud the revels can be played. Very clean at high volume. Focals are great too just pricy in the USA. I the revel 228be is $11,000 and the focal sopra 2 is $19,000-ish at current retail prices.
This is the focal 1
The Revel sounds slow and soggy to me compared to the more open, dynamic and punchy sound of the Focal
Agreed. Focal sounds much better/more fun. Quite a bit of difference.
I feel revels are slow too when I listened to them in person.
Very tough to beat the Focal tonality and speed! Good video!!
Yes. It is!
Nice video - Sopra sounds awesome but I just bought the Revel f226be on sale - I think they are very close and just slightly prefer the Sopra in this demo; ultimately it came down to value - I think it’s hard to go wrong with either
The revels sound better to my ears.
I'm impressed to see that Focal was able to broadcast a slightly better sound than the tall Revel Performa F226Be in so small speakers.
I only ear a significant difference in the last peace (and I just ordered a pair of Sopra 1).
If I am living with these, it would be the Revels, impressing mates over for an hour I'd grab the Focals.
Thanks for sharing, a great comparison. Revel Performa for me from this impression. But who knows, maybe I'd prefer the other ones if hearing them live and on-site.
I think that I marginally prefer the Revels due to their relaxed type of presentation. The area where I like the Focals the more is in the treble, the curved front baffle and lack of waveguide undoubtedly improves the dispersion between 3kHz and 8 kHz (widens it) and pushes more energy in the reverberant field for greater openness. The Revel counters with greater dispersion at the top of the midrange drivers range. The best of both worlds would be to to combine the two, by using a 3,5 inch midrange in combination with a curved baffle 1 inch treble and a suitably low crossover frequency.
Focal all the way
I prefer the Revels. They are more neutral and natural sounding than the Focals. The treble on the Focals calls attention to the speaker and not the music, which is a characteristic of every Focal speaker I have ever heard.
Focal win for me. It's not the true tone, but it's beautiful. (From France)
Wow, such good content. I strongly disagree with several strongly held audiophile positions, like cables make a difference, for instance, but overall your channel is informative and, importantly, artistic. Thanks.
I should add that i would never own the Revel's because they are UGLY and made in China. I just can't buy products made in a nation that embraces forced labor, aka slavery.
I am not fond of that as well. The world would be a better place with more local production.
One of the very few people who see the China conspiracy... Better be blind! @@themaskedsingercucucachu8225
@@themaskedsingercucucachu8225 You do use a phone, computer, ...?
@@TheAlphaAudio when I find interesting is that audiophiles swear up-and-down that they want the purest sound usually are hell-bent on never touching tonal control yet they’ll try different wires in every other aspect to change the sound though. They swear they are getting the purest sound possible lol I find that to be the funniest thing ever.
Jacques Loussier: het valt op dat de nagalm bij de Revels vele malen meer is dan bij de Focals. De Focals klinken veel droger. De coherentie in het geluidsbeeld van de Revels vind ik persoonlijk mooier, maar dat komt waarschijnlijk omdat de bastonen geprononceerder zijn en bij de Focals het middengebied veel meer naar voren wordt geprojecteerd. Bij stemmen: ik weet niet of de Focals beter de stemmen en de trompet weergeven, of dat ik een voorkeur heb voor de manier waarop stemmen en de trompet worden weergegeven, beetje lastig te onderscheiden. Beide zijn topniveau. Ik heb de indruk dat de DAC met de nieuwe modules nu helemaal los is, klinkt geweldig.
Revel hands down, accurate in every tone. Focal are too bright!
There is not one measurement that shows Sopras are not neutral sounding. Not one.
@@AbsoluteFidelity they are bright www.spinorama.org/speakers/Focal%20Sopra%201/Misc/index_misc-audioholics.html
Wow the Focal’s are so much better
Focal Sopra sounds perfectly balanced on my system. I am listening over a triode tube amplifier and Dynaudio speakers, which are very neutral. I also hear a certain reverberance with the Revels which I do not hear with the Focals. The Focals are clearly more bright, which on my system is a good thing. The midrange is too pronounced on the Revels for my taste.
Impressive that the Revs is able to rival the Sopras in this sound demo. Now i am curious about the bookshelf version.
The bookshelf is one of our reference speakers. It's amazing.
M126Be?
@@hansiangng2808 yes
It seems the biggest difference is that Focals have the typical lower treble flare inherent in all 2-way designs with a 6"+ midwoofer and tweeter without a waveguide. Pass xp-12 is a bit polite in that region which is a good match for the Focal but not so much for the Revel.
Do you think the Revels/Bryston/Pass Labs has good synergy? I think this is the upgrade path I'm going moving towards... I own Revel floor standers... (I had recommended that you consider Revels when you requested suggestions for a neutral speaker) your room is so dialed in and excellent music selections... thanks for all that you do...
Yes. It works very well. The Pass / Bryston combination in general works pretty well.
@@TheAlphaAudio… hello … what do you think of a pairing of the Sopra N1 with the Moonriver 404 Reference? Would it work… at least on paper? Thanks.
@@andyandy2684 haven't tried it. So can't say.
I like the vocals and highs slightly better on the focals but I feel as though the mid-bass is a little boosted... which is pleasing to the ear but I feel it is not completely honest to the source. I want to say I would still choose the Focals in this case although I would want to hear the Revels in person before making such an assumption.
If it sounds better (mid bass) then it sounds better. I don't understand your logic... You want it to sound dryer if that's how the song was recorded? Why lol.. it's not about the song it's about how you perceive the song. I guess not for everyone.
@deyh5664 some artists already record with boosted midbass. If your speaker accentuates midbass then these kinds of songs will sound muddy. Horses for courses. Nice try to pigeonhole the argument though.
Dear Alpha audio, as you are the one there listening, can you please describe your experiences with these 2 sets of speakers? Similarities and differences? Thank you!
@@CrescendoKeysChannel we create these videos zo you can hear for yourself. You can find the full reviews on our website as well.
Focal sounds better to me.
Focals smoothness of tone make obvious difference in focals favor. Also a bit brighter and more airy presentation have translated to overall more musical sound. But Revels thanks to darker presentation, reveal very good details and leyers on the midrange and it's harmonics.
All tough both speakres aren't in the same price class, cause floorstanders Focal Sopra No.2 is almost 2 x more expensive than F226Be.
Nope. Revel is almost same price...at least here in Netherlands.
@@TheAlphaAudio I added anwser with link and it's gone. Maybe cause puting links is abandonned. But cut to the chase:
Floorstanders are much more expensive in comparsion to the same line bookshelfs.
You should compare Focals Sopra No.1 to Ravel M126Be and still they are 2 x cheapper than Sopra No.1.
F226Be should be compared to the same price floorstanders speakers - if you want to highlight they are in same price.
No wonder floorstander model cost the same as the Sopras No. 1 cause Sopras are not floorstanders.
Sopra No.2 are almost 2x more expensive than F226Be. Almost same price to bookshelfs Sopra no.1.
@@sheerenergy8602 TH-cam is a bit tough on comments with links...
We have the 126be as a reference. It's An amazing speaker.
I thought this comparison was interesting... About the same price... Both Beryllium. Both have their strong points....
@@TheAlphaAudio Yes it's interesting ofcourse, but price comparsion can only be made in bookshelfs vs bookshelfs and floorstanders vs florstanders.
Revel have Gem 2 bookshelfs, they are 1000 euro more expensive than Sopra No.1 with stands.
Focal in general is expensive and maybe M126Be are in the same class in sound with Sopras No.1 but not the same price.
When Revel get same reputation as Focal, maybe then that two series are gonna be in same price class. Like Paradigm did - i'm using precursor of Persona B, but bigger Siganture S4 Berilium - now the price is collosal.
@@sheerenergy8602 I beg to disagree. Does it really matter if it is a bookshelf or a floorstander? I think the budget matters more. How much sound are you getting for your money? I was deciding between (amongst others) huge Nubert floorstanders and small Focal bookshelves, the price tag being the same. The Nuberts had a massive advantage in terms of bass, the Focals in terms of everything else. And I decided everything else mattered more to me... and that I'd need a subwoofer.
Focal does manufacture in house in France, while Revel produces in China. That doesn't have to have an effect on quality (the Chinese can produce products of very high quality, and the French... lets say I owned a couple of French cars). But it does have an effect on price.
As for the Revel, they don't play particularly low for floorstanders, the Sopras aren't that far away from them. Both sound really good in the demo. I'd have a hard time deciding... perhaps the Revel are a tad more balanced, laid back? The Focals shine more.
Please! Focal Sopra NO 1 VS B&W 805D4.
We will!
@@TheAlphaAudio I'm really looking forward to it. Then you can also try the Dynaudio Heritage. A comparison between Focal Sopra NO 1 + BW 805D4 + Dynaudio Heritage would be sensational.
Could also do a Review of Focal Kanta NO 1.
Jaap, I’m sure you had lots of fun setting this up all up for us.
Very thrilling to hear both these speakers.
The Revels are ugly as hell but they do make beautiful sound when compared to the Focal speakers.
Thank you,
Brian
Haha.... Well, actually I dont find them ugly. But also not that good looking. Soundwise i do really like them. Very nicely balanced.
How would you say the Revels compare to the ATC SCM40a you had a while ago? I currently have the atcs and I'm curious about what you think of the Revels as they were my second choice. I never got a chance to demo the Revels in person.
I like the Revel a bit more. it's more detailed and the bass goes deeper.
The revel is fuller and more effortless, the focal is just a bit contained by comparison.
revel sounds a lil bit warmer and relax.sopra no1 have airy vocal.
Spot on!
The Revels get my vote. Also, the Revels are a much better value than the Focals. Revels are hard to beat.
I’m the F228BE owner and my vote goes for Focal in this setup, in this room.
What is your choice between two of them?
I think a fusion of the two would be perfect. The bass of the Revel and the openness of the Focal.
Would've loved to see a comparison of Kanta vs F226Be. They are much closer in price here in the US, with the Kanta being a little more expensive since dealers often discount Revels.
Revel will win in my opinion.
Great video as always. Thanks for posting. The Revels sound a little dead compared to the Focals.
Focal midrange Is a little more forward sounding sounds good on these songs outhers maybe not I would choose the revel for its flatter response that can be eq to taste
I do not see one data showing that the 226BE is flatter than the Sopra No.1
Both speakers are good....but I prefer the Revels.
Standmounts FTW! ;-) Zoveel meer lucht en transparantie bij de Sopra!
Dat is inderdaad de kracht van een 2-weg monitor. Doet de Revel monitor versie ook erg fraai.
I want to ask? How amplifier-intensive are they. Do you need a powerful amplifier for good performance? I have Vincent SP995 monoblocks. Thanks.
Otherwise, I like the Revel better in the test. Bass is tighter, better separation.Probably it would be better to compare Sopra 2.
@@Sudekl Both are not hard to drive. Sopra likes some current for deeper bass though.
Revels are more integrated and even tonal balance for me and more extended and convincing bass. Focal more detailed and open, fast and airy though. I probably would need to listen to them n the flesh but in truth neither would be my choice of speaker, at least not with that front end which i think is a bit on the nice and polite side for my taste. Am I correct you record in mono? Or is it a stereo mike?
Interesting. Where would you go for instead of?
@@theomindschrddr7983 Especially in the high audio is about system matching so with different ancillaries I may well love either of those two speakers but in my case I have gone for Spender D9.2. It has taken a lot of tweaking of ancillaries and also electronic room correction to get them to sound great or to be correct to get the system to sound great as it now does.
The Big Winner Focal Sopra NO 1.
When it switches to the Sopra, everything just sounds sharper, with absolute no mids taken away. Thats the magic of Focal.
Revel 226BE🥰
Indeed!
what about sopra no.2 ? Please arrange some demo and review of it :) Thanks in advance !
We did... Years ago. :-)
@@TheAlphaAudio Did you like Sopra 2 ? How Sopra 2 or (even no1.) compares to ATC SCM40 ? Did not have the chance to hear it at the local dealer, but really like what I'm hearing during your demo videos. I do have amp that is on warmer and fuller sound ( Plinius SA103, 2x125W ClassA) and thinking it can be a good match to Sopra. What is your opinion ?
@@kaudiophilejourney1259 I don't like the Sopra No2. I do like the 3. Ik think the No1 is more loose and controlled than the No2. ATC is totally different.
the difference is stark, if in this demo someone does not opt for FOCAL in every sense, 2 things could be happening, either the source that is listening to the comparison is of low quality or is deaf...
Or different taste?
@@TheAlphaAudio teste too... obviously, but the difference is mainly in the quality, the FOCAL even being smaller, has more body, the presence and definition is superior, it is a better and more refined speaker!
@@TheAlphaAudio making it clear that "this demo" demonstrates this, even taking into account all the possible interference from the "you tube process"... whether personally this comes to fruition, I can't say for sure!
Focal 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎵🎵🎵🎵
I'm not a fan of Focal in general, but Revels aren't musical at all. They just reproduce sounds while Focals sing.
I think the Revel are more neutral, Focal lack bass and following that seems more airy.
"The old king is dead, long live the new king"
:-)
is simaudio 600i mate with these
I guess that will work fine!
Something recessed in the revels
Prob missing 9000$
I could hear her breath on the Revels, not on the Focals. The Revels are more refined sounding, the Focals sound a bit unrefined and lifeless. Maybe pair them against a cheap pair of Sony book case speakers.
Sopra 1 👍 - I would combine it with the active Sopra SW 1000…
Focal is a bit shouty, I like the Revel better
Shouty is the perfect word
w focal u can hear more type of instrument playing ,Revel just smear as one
Focal sounds much better/more fun. Quite a bit of difference. I never understood the Revel hypes. It's a "dry" speaker brand. Waste of money compared to what you can get.
This video clearly highlights the distinct differences between the speaker brand Focal and Revel. The Revel more recessed, slightly reserved and slightly damped compared to the more forward, extroverted and musically ensemble linearity of the Focals. The Revel might get dull and tedious with long term listening. Although with not much listener fatigue in the process. Whereas the Focal might just be ticket for certain musical genres such as female vocals, jazz and most anything non rock or orchestral based. Both of which better served up by the Focals at lower volume levels. All things considered , the Focals for me. The shimmer and full on sparkle of the mids and highs seal the deal.
If I was using them as studio playback monitors, wanting maximum harmonic, textural, macro and micro dynamic detail, I'd have to go with the Sopra1's. For personal musical enjoyment I might opt for the Revel's, and give up a touch of the the Focal's hyper definition and almost brutaly revealing charicter for the more forgiving and full bodied flavor of the Revel F226Be's. Maybe.
This is a technicaly sterling sound demo, AA. Thanks.
Play a few bass heavy tracks and the score will change!
Ok
Focal is almost twice as expensive
Revels for me!
8:37
You should use Revels for tests now instead of Focals. They just disappear and only music remains. Focal cheats
PS I know the price. It was a sad joke
No contest here. The focals are clearly the better speakers
Focals= commanding
Revel=more intimate, dare I say coherent and accurate
Yes. I think so. Well heard. We are going to measure it next week.
@@TheAlphaAudio will you measure f226be?
@@alimumcu114115 yes. I am very curious about the performance and neutrality.
@@TheAlphaAudio Will you post the measurements?In english please?
@@zzt231gr yes. We will. No problem.
У Focal Sopra чуть выше разрешение и прозрачность. И чуть более шире сцена.
Bouth👎